Prato, December 9th, 2005

Current mood:	tired
Current music:	All For Believing

So we moved.
We left the hideously horrible Hotel Adriatico (it wasnt actually bad, but it wasnt what I would expect of a four star hotel) and are now staying in Prato, at a more modest hotel that I like much better.
Lost the key to the safe on the first day and had it replaced for free by the very sympathetic concierge. Also discovered that I left my washing line in Florence (so did Katrina) so Ill probably have to buy another one. SIGH. *slaps own hand as noone is here to understand why*
OK, so last time we spoke I was mid weekend-on-my-own, wasnt I?
Excellent. Hazel and Katrina got back, very tired but having had a lovely time, cliqueyness of the awesome foursome notwithstanding. They stayed at an Irish convent and drank nun beer. And ate at a restaurant where the chef picked his toes in front of the clients. EWWWWW.
And then on Tuesday we went to the Uffizi.
You cannot comprehend how happy it made me being in the Uffizi.
I COMPLETELY geeked out. It was a religious experience. No seriously. Want to know something really sad? Standing in front of The Birth of Venus which is my favourite painting ever, I was actually fighting back tears. It was just AMAZING. SO much better than any print or anything youve seen online or whatever. And Leonardos Adoration as well and Lippis Madonna, which is my favourite ever Madonna, and Michaelangelo... but to tell you the truth, I just kept going back to the Botticelli room. I would never have left if I could get away with it. Walking out of the museum was stupidly difficult.
The Uffizi is easily my favourite ever place we ever visited ever in Florence. I cant remember if I went there with my family when we were in Florence, but it all seemed completely new and completely wonderful. Obviously my interests lay in the kind of Giotto to Michaelangelo period, but the Mannerist stuff was really interesting too, so I spent some time wandering around by myself, because looking at paintings with other people isnt as fun. You cant go at your own pace.
Then I went down to the gift shop and bought a few postcards (mainly Botticelli, but also Lippi, Leonardo and someone beginning with P whose name I can never remember) and three pins with bits of Primavera, Birth of Venus and Lippis Madonna on them. I spent quite a lot of money really.
Got home and worked on my Alberti essay, which I finished a draft of by midnight.
Next day was our last day in Florence, so I really wanted to enjoy it, but unfortunately I spent the day with the rest of the essay hanging over my head. We went to the Academia first and saw the David, which of course was wonderful, and Myra did a great speech about it. Shes a broadcaster and it really came out in the way she presented. We then headed over to the Boboli gardens, which were beautiful, but I just couldnt relax knowing I had to finish the essay. So Ill have to go back when Tegan and I go to Florence. Went home, finished and handed in Alberti half an hour early, then had a group dinner. It was very pleasant mostly. When the conversation centred around Di, Raph and Michael it was nice, but Aron kept chiming in with really inappropriate stuff, so that was stupid. Afterwards we went to the pub and I got SLIGHTLY drunk again.
At least, I got drunk enough that the mountain bus ride the next day was tantamount to purgatory. SO ILL. It was horrible. Didnt throw up though. Just appeared rude. Kept abruptly turning my back on conversations. Anyway, had I not been green, it would have been even better, but as was, I missed most of the first half. It got better when Id been outside in the cold a while and we visited the Mugello convent of St. Bonaventura, which is actually for friars, although there are only two now. "What a massive PR disaster your church has been lord." The friar who showed us around was lovely and funny and we got to see a Donatello attributed crucafix which was just beautiful and kudos to them for holding onto it so long. We then headed over to Scarperia, where it dropped to -1 and we couldnt feel our feet. We had lunch though. That was nice.
Got to Prato, got our room, had dinner with Hazel, then Katrina and Hazel stayed up writing their essays. Then they got up early (5am) to write and had a bit of a chat. You know. As you do at 5am when your roomate is sleeping. I didnt get much sleep last night.
Today we visited the two main churches of Prato, and rather more excitingly, to my mind, we visited the Pratesi archives, which are really the Datini archives with some other stuff thrown in.
If we had been in Australia these letters would have been climate controlled and kept away from human contact as much as possible. As it was the woman who spoke to us, Chiara, was just folding and unfolding a seven hundred year old letter in her hands as she spoke. Hefting account books from the 1300s with a jaunty air, gripping them lightly as she spoke so everyone was on edge in case she dropped them.
The Italian government is currently funding a project which is almost finished (three years off, anyway)where all the letters of Francesco Datini (who was a Pratese merchant) are being scanned and put online for public access which is actually incredibly exciting if youre a history nerd. His wife Margheritas letters are in the process of becoming accessible too, but on CDRom and several in modern Italian and/or English translations. So thats kind of incredible.
Sorry. Shutting up now.
Prato is fantastic anyway. I love Florence, but it really is a very BUSY city, and its nice to have a bit of a rest for a couple of days before launching into a tour of several of Europes busiest cities. We have a lecture tonight, and then a video night, where we either watch Labyrinth or The Dark Crystal, neither of which Ive seen, so that should be interesting.
Am a bit concerned that Ive left the booking of my Milan-Paris train too long. RailEurope wont let me book. They reckon its a five day booking thing. If so I might have to fly, which would be a pain.
I just left for a few seconds to check at the travel agents, but theyre closed for siesta (Travel agents take their siesta SERIOUSLY) so Ill go back at three and three to book something on the Artesia and check if I need to book to Milan, although thats just Trenitalia, so I doubt it.
Ohohoh, happy birthday to Bree for the 8th!
Also anyone whose birthdays Ive unintentionally missed.
And hi to my cousin Sam, who messaged me yesterday.
Ummmm, yeah. Thats it I think.
Except that I thought Id do a quick meme, gacked from alisso and feighlioch:
Go to your Calendar and find the first entry for each month of 2005. Post the first line of it in your journal, and that's your "Year In Review".

[Jan] Hope you all enjoyed your New Year's celebrations, and are not too hungover.
[Feb] I just thought I should let you know that 'First Day of my Life' by Bright Eyes is MY wedding song and you CAN'T HAVE IT.
[Mar] Anyone who's interested in hearing Tommy's side of the story in the Hutt River hoax should go to Tommy's blog: http://tommydassalo.blogspot.com/
[Apr] Slept in.
[May] Worked with Mandy and Lyss this morning, then headed home and pretended to do my essay.
[Jun] As the result of nigh unbearable nagging from our own all-this-and-brains Claire, PR consultant and romance novel writer extraordinaire, I am writing y'all an entry.
[Jul] Oh la la la.
[Aug] So JessMaq was quite good.
[Sep] I think I just accepted a tutoring job.
[Oct] We haven't spoken for a while, you and I, have we?
[Nov] OK, so I had a TERRIBLE day yesterday, but the evening was so perfect that it completely made up for it.
[Dec] Am slightly chirpier today, as bits of news have had a chance to sink in, and more importantly Ive handed in my stupid Orsanmichele essay.

Love yez all and shall probably write again tomorrow.(A girl here says "yez". Shes very nice, but it makes me giggle).
-Katherine